Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
RPO Peek Stick is a run pass option out of Shotgun Trips that pairs an inside run with a stick concept from the trips side. The trips receivers run a peek route (quick out breaking the box), a stick sit route, and a vertical seam read, while the single receiver runs a streak up the numbers to hold the deep defender. The primary read is the peek key defender: if he crashes on the run, throw the peek or stick quickly, otherwise hand the ball off and let the offensive line work its blocking scheme downhill.
Defensive Reads
Watch the flow of the second level defender closest to the trips bunch presnap, since his depth tells you whether he is playing run first or sitting in the peek window. Man coverage with linebackers trying to cover the stick route is the easiest key to attack, since the sitter will win separation against man leverage. Zone defenses that spin a safety down into the box can take away both the run lane and the peek throw, forcing the quarterback into the stick or streak. On defense, get your user defender to sit on the stick concept and trust the front seven to fit the run, since that forces the quarterback into a low percentage throw. Disguised blitzes that bring extra rushers off the edge can beat this play before the RPO read even develops, so early jump paths on the edge are effective counters.
Usage Tips
Presnap, identify whether the second level defender assigned to the peek window is sitting inside or cheating toward the flat, since that dictates whether you pull the ball or stay committed to the run.
Use this on early downs to stay balanced, since the run action keeps linebackers honest and opens the stick window against zone drops.
If you see a nano blitz or extra man in the box, get the ball out fast on the peek or stick rather than trying to press the give read.
Combine this with straight Stick or Bubble Screen from the same set so the defense cannot key on your run tendencies out of Trips.
Against man coverage, key the stick sitter versus a linebacker matchup since that is the easiest conversion throw in the concept.
